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Workout Of The Week - What Is The Most Effective Mass Building Tricep Workout?

The Hammer said:
Anyone perform cross bench dips?

Andy, what's your take on these?
Have you done them?
Click to expand...

I have done these a few times but I don't think the tricep is heavily involved. I think it is more of a pec exercise, similar to decline bench. I couldn't get any tricep feel out of them.

I enjoy dips but I don't do them often because I haven't built myself a dip stand yet. My tricep mainstay for 20 years has been cable pushdowns.
 
bull said:
I have done these a few times but I don't think the tricep is heavily involved. I think it is more of a pec exercise, similar to decline bench. I couldn't get any tricep feel out of them.

I enjoy dips but I don't do them often because I haven't built myself a dip stand yet. My tricep mainstay for 20 years has been cable pushdowns.
Click to expand...

Bull, if you want to stretch the pec fully you'll note that your arm is horizontal, level with the shoulder and slightly behind moreso if you have great muscle strength.

For a fully contracted muscle the arm is now parralel to the torso and slightly pointing to the mid line.

I've always worked on the idea that the strongest part of any movement is where the muscle is fully contracted, where the lever cannot move any further, this is where resistance should be at the highest.

And if you want a really big strong muscle, an exercise copying the movement of stretched to fully contracted must be an exercise that you do regularly.

Based on that, if you look at the style of dip you commented on, there is more emphasis on the tricep, it may appear that your pecs receive the brunt of the work, but only in the stretch posisition, the weakest position for effective stimulus for growth.
 
Little Hammer said:
Bull, if you want to stretch the pec fully you'll note that your arm is horizontal, level with the shoulder and slightly behind moreso if you have great muscle strength.

For a fully contracted muscle the arm is now parralel to the torso and slightly pointing to the mid line.

I've always worked on the idea that the strongest part of any movement is where the muscle is fully contracted, where the lever cannot move any further, this is where resistance should be at the highest.

And if you want a really big strong muscle, an exercise copying the movement of stretched to fully contracted must be an exercise that you do regularly.

Based on that, if you look at the style of dip you commented on, there is more emphasis on the tricep, it may appear that your pecs receive the brunt of the work, but only in the stretch posisition, the weakest position for effective stimulus for growth.
Click to expand...

Andy, you could be right but the way that I look at is from the point of view of the main joint involved. Clearly this movement is drawing the humerus down and forward around the shoulder, the elbow extension is incidental. If you flexed the tricep hard at the bottom of the dip you'd push the bench over and wind up in a heap on the floor. Since the shoulder is the real joint being moved then the tricep has minimal involvement. It is basically a stabiliser.

I don't think it is a good pec exercise either, probably because of the weak position that you described. You can't use significant weight because of the vulnerable position of the shoulder as well.

I don't know whether your logic is right or mine but I don't rate these kind of dips for anything other than a stretch.
 
True Bull, a lot of action at the shoulder, even the lat's play a key role to maintain shoulder strength and integrity.

The dip is a mighty exercise.
 
bull said:
Andy, you could be right but the way that I look at is from the point of view of the main joint involved. Clearly this movement is drawing the humerus down and forward around the shoulder, the elbow extension is incidental. If you flexed the tricep hard at the bottom of the dip you'd push the bench over and wind up in a heap on the floor. Since the shoulder is the real joint being moved then the tricep has minimal involvement. It is basically a stabiliser.

I don't think it is a good pec exercise either, probably because of the weak position that you described. You can't use significant weight because of the vulnerable position of the shoulder as well.

I don't know whether your logic is right or mine but I don't rate these kind of dips for anything other than a stretch.
Click to expand...

I don't agree with this but I don't really know how to explain why
I think you should do a 5x5RM with weighted dips and then 3 sets of max reps with bodyweight afterwards and you'll know exactly what it hits in the morning

If you flexed the quads in the bottom of a squat then you'd just kick your legs out the same way as your arms in the dip if you flexed your triceps, I don't think you'd say that squats won't give you big strong quads though
 
I wasn't really sure either 0ni, so I didn't reply.
The jist is, just do it, it's an exercise that involves a lot of muscle, do it!
 
Thanks mang
I remember reading a Bill Starr (I think it was him) article on using the dip to increase the military press
I'll see if I can find it
 
0ni said:
I don't agree with this but I don't really know how to explain why
I think you should do a 5x5RM with weighted dips and then 3 sets of max reps with bodyweight afterwards and you'll know exactly what it hits in the morning

If you flexed the quads in the bottom of a squat then you'd just kick your legs out the same way as your arms in the dip if you flexed your triceps, I don't think you'd say that squats won't give you big strong quads though
Click to expand...

Oni there is a difference between cross bench dips and proper dips. Real dips are an awesome exercise that can be adjusted to either triceps or chest. Cross bench dips are shit. We were talking about cross bench dips or at least we were at the beginning. I think Andy got onto real dips somewhere.

Fair point with the squats analogy. I agree that my logic does not carry through to that example, but I don't know why. However I still believe that you could do cross bench dips forever without developing decent tri's.
 
bull said:
Oni there is a difference between cross bench dips and proper dips. Real dips are an awesome exercise that can be adjusted to either triceps or chest. Cross bench dips are shit. We were talking about cross bench dips or at least we were at the beginning. I think Andy got onto real dips somewhere.

Fair point with the squats analogy. I agree that my logic does not carry through to that example, but I don't know why. However I still believe that you could do cross bench dips forever without developing decent tri's.
Click to expand...

I agree. While I think cross bench dips serve there purpose for people who like BW exercises and do to an extent help to fatigue the triceps, I think that they put excess stress on the shoulers - similar to tricep dips that just go way too deep. I think they serve a purpose, but not one that ideally suits me for inducing hypertrophy. Dips; mucho awesomo. Cross Bench Dips; I could live without.

Rian.
 
The Hodge Twins on the Best Tricep Exercises

Hello gentlemen :p

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWu8g415AKc]Natural Bodybuilder Killer Chest Tricep Workout to get RIPPED FAST!!!!. - YouTube[/ame]
 
rino60 said:
First two seconds...

Damn he had a nice upper body.

I would LOVE some PB with my jelly, thank you.
Click to expand...

I know right?

Fucking amazing transformations from him and his brother too! They both look great, but the taller one has got amazing arms and shoulders.

Fantastico! ;)
 
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